Scribblenauts Strategy Guide Defeats The Point

[Keane Ng]

Scribblenauts Strategy Guide Defeats The Point

Believe it or not, there's a strategy guide for Scribblenauts that will teach you how to solve problems in a game where solutions to problems are supposed to be nearly limitless.

Scribblenauts, 5th Cell's upcoming DS puzzler in which you figure out problems by thinking of objects and then conjuring those very things - which run in the hundreds of thousands - to solve them, might be the last game you'd want a strategy guide for. After all, the point of the game is to flex your creative muscle and test the depth of the game's word and object database to pull out as many solutions to problems as your mind can come up with.

So you shouldn't need, or even want, a guide to tell you how to solve a puzzle. That defeats the purpose for any game made entirely of puzzle levels - imagine buying a guide for Professor Layton - but makes even less sense for Scribblenauts, since, if the game works as advertised, the solutions are limitless. Having problems with zombies? Summon a time travel machine, get a T-Rex, time travel back, kill zombies. Who needs a guide when stuff like that actually works?

Still, here it is: the Scribblenauts strategy guide [http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=75602]. "Every level description will feature 3 different solutions, as well as one obscure solution, to solving each puzzle with the fewest objects in the shortest time," the product description on GameStop says. "With over 220 levels, this guide contains over 880+ strategies."

As a GameStop customer review puts it bluntly: "This is a stupid product. I have not used this guide, but I'm sure it's good at what it does, but Scribblenauts is a game where you use imagination and creativity to pass through obstacles. A strategy guide for this game just takes that all away."

True that may be, but now that I take a closer look, there actually might be some value to this thing. It contains a listing of 500+ "obscure words you never would have thought of directly from the dev team" which could be cool if you want to see what the game has to offer without taking the time to wrack your brain for really esoteric words. There's also tips and tricks for level creation, direct from the developers, which could be neat.

[Via MTV Multiplayer [http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/08/26/scribblenauts-strategy-guide-confounds-logic/]]

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[Irridium]

I wonder if I can summon a strategy guide in the game. Then summon a flamethrower and burn it.

And besides, I can find the really odd words off the internet, I don't need a guide for that.

 

[DrDeath3191]

Wow. Just wow. Does it come with a free DVD-Rewinder?

 

[super_smash_jesus]

how has this game not come to me sooner. It looks fantastic!

OT: I have never agreed with strategy guides anyways, because anyone can do a step by step guide and finish a game, but where is the fun in that? Oh well, if people want to take away from the aspect of this game that makes it original by being told what to write/summon, then let em.

 

[Simalacrum]

well the obscure words thing is pretty good, but surely its better just to publish a dictionary-like book with all the possible words in it? That way you don't have to have the temptation of looking into such a guide -.-

I agree with the gamestop cusotmer, the product is stupid.

 

[scnj]

well the obscure words thing is pretty good, but surely its better just to publish a dictionary-like book with all the possible words in it? That way you don't have to have the temptation of looking into such a guide -.-

I agree with the gamestop cusotmer, the product is stupid.

I was gonna say, just pick up a dictionary and start trying words. Absolutely pointless.

 

[quack35]

The obscure words thing sounds kinda cool.

 

[New Troll]

With such easy internet access, I'm shocked every time I see a new strategy guide for a game.

Except for a few collector's editions and the occasional humorous guidebook, I've never been a fan of them. If I play a game and come across a problem I just can not figure out, I'll just ask a friend or go on-line.

I also find it amusing when people buy guidebooks for on-line games like World of Warcraft. You have to realize everything in the book will be obsolete come next patch. Makes no sense.

 

[Cousin_IT]

published strategy guides were redundant long before this

 

[Whistler777]

Wow, just wow. I'll be mad if sales reports indicate that even a single one of these sold.

*sigh*

I'm in for an angry September...

 

[Arbitrary Cidin]

That's like when my friend told me that Portal sucked. I asked him why and he said that it was too easy and the walkthrough he used made the turret combat too easy. I proceeded to respond with my fist in his face.

 

[Rathy]

That is just a bit sad if they need to sell that. I'l admit, the word part is the only thing interesting, but that'll be online within a week anyway from random experiments.

 

[Deef]

Who else thinks that "penis" will be a valid word?
Just throwing that out there.

 

[wrecker77]

So..... your paying for a book, that could have been condensed to a sticky note that has "Type, win game" on it.

If I am correct, Destructoid did a story on confirmed words in scribblenauts and "Strategy guide" was one.

I think.

 

[HardRockSamurai]

There ALREADY IS a professional game guide for Scribblenauts! It's called a Dictionary!

 

[Word Salad]

Isn't that what strategy guides do? All strategy guides "make the game redundant". I think it might be cool to see all those obscure solutions. If I ever get a DS, this'll be the first game I buy.

 

[megatron2.0]

fail....